


Those with a fire

by LadyKG



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Naruto, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Gen, Lesbian Icon Thor, Sakura ends up in the Marvel unviverse, Sakura had given up on hiding shit, baby of procrastination, because what other kind of Thor is there?, everyone thinks she's an alien, i don't know yet, it's complete though, it's very much not, just have to post the chapters, she sort of makes friends, there might be a sequel, this was supposed to be like 1000 words, to be fair she kind of is
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-18
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-03 21:09:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 16,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16333511
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKG/pseuds/LadyKG
Summary: The hardest part, Sakura thought, about coming to this new world wasn’t missing her old team or friends. Wasn’t learning a new culture and new language. Wasn’t living without a real home. No. She was a shinobi, she could deal with that. Would deal with that. The hardest part was having to restrain herself from using her chakra to heal the patients that came to her for help.





	1. Chapter 1

The hardest part, Sakura thought, about coming to this new world wasn’t missing her old team or friends. Wasn’t learning a new culture and new language. Wasn’t living without a real home. No. She was a shinobi, she could deal with that. _Would_ deal with that. The hardest part was having to restrain herself from using her chakra to heal the patients that came to her for help. It was looking at these people and saying there was nothing more she could do because she _knew_ that there were some things that even miracles could not reason away. She did her best, however, with what herbs and medicine they had in this world, did her best to cover up the glow of her hands when she was sure no one was looking.

But sometimes it wasn’t enough.

Sometimes they needed more chakra than the sliver that she managed to give them. (Bruce had looked at her with alarm the first time he saw her hands glow green with healing chakra. Had looked at her like she was a miracle and tragedy wrapped into one. Had looked and wrung his hands and told her that she should keep such abilities to herself if she wanted to stay out of trouble for any length of time. There were bad people in this world, he had said, that would try and use her. She almost laughed at the words – there were bad people everywhere, and she doubted they would be prepared to truly contain her.) And that hurt. Even during the war, she hadn’t lost this many patients.

Still, meeting Bruce had helped. He was a smart man and knew the workings of this strange place better than she ever would. He was a doctor, as well. Helping the people of poorer communities without care for their ability to pay. This world, she had learned fast, was strange about women. Strange about not letting them heal. The looks she received when she said she was a doctor were those of disbelief. It made her skin itch, and blood boil. She _fought_ to earn her place at the head of Konoha’s hospital. _Fought_ to become who she was today. And she would be damned if she let these people take her ability to heal away from her. And that, Sakura thought as she pulled away from their most recent patient, was why she hadn’t left in the beginning; because following this man gave her the greatest access to those that needed help. Now, however, it was because she considered him a friend.

“They’ll be fine,” she told Bruce and the family in the local language – one of the few phrases she knew by heart, “they just need rest.”

“Oh, thank you,” the mother said with feeling, a tear breaking free from her eyes as she looked at her son. “Thank you.”

Before anymore could be said a small girl was tugging on Bruce’s shirt, money fisted in one hand. “My mother, she’s sick. Please, help!”

Sakura knelt without hesitation, “Where is she?”

The child paid her no mind, however, tugging more insistently on Bruce’s shirt, “My mother, she’s sick. Help me, please.”

She held in a frown as she stood, normally the girls were more open to the idea of a woman being a doctor. “I’ll finish up here,” she told Bruce.

“You sure?” He asked, but he was already following the tug of the girl’s hand towards the door.

“Go,” she waved him off, “I’ll find you when you’re done.”

In truth there wasn’t much to be done here, but something about the situation sat with her wrong. Something screamed at her instincts that this _wasn’t right._ With silent steps she slipped out and into the street, letting her senses spread out around her. She was never the sensor of their team, but with her chakra control it allotted her _some_ ability in the area. The people here had strange not-chakra, too focused in the physical, but it was energy all the same. Two signatures stood out to her. She had felt them before – lingering as they were now.

She stood there for a moment longer before turning back into the small apartment. She didn’t need them following her, after all.

“Can I barrow this?” She said in a broken imitation of the local language, holding up a swath of fabric for the mother of her patient to see. Bruce had taught her what he called English in exchange for learning her language – Japanese was what they called it in this world – but the more local dialects in this region have still mostly eluded her. Basic necessities she knew, but her vocabulary was patchy at best, and her ability to make full sentences was embarrassingly poor.

The woman nodded, a smile on her face and said something about payment or maybe a gift, Sakura wasn’t sure. All she knew was that she could take it, and without hesitation she made her way toward the back of the small apartment, wrapping the fabric around her head to cover up her distinctive pink hair and the lower half of her face. Whatever was going on couldn’t be good. There have been people following them since Sakura met Bruce a few months ago. It had put her on edge, but with how often Bruce moved from place to place and how those trailing them never confronted them Sakura had held out hope that they would go away.

They never did, and it seemed that even her vigilance couldn’t keep them from separating the two of them. She should have known better – that girl’s eyes did not hold the desperation of a child whose parents were in danger. A mockery of it, perhaps, but true desperation was more than just a bit of tears.

With all the agility her years as a shinobi had given her she slipped through a small window and into the alleyway below. She refused to leave Bruce to whatever fate these people thought to force upon him. He was a good man, Sakura could say with resolve. After months with him, watching him help those who couldn’t even pay for his services. Watching him heal as best he could and give all he could to those around him. Sakura wasn’t about to let someone take that from these people.

She was not as good a sensor as Hinata or Ino, but she was still a shinobi so tracking him down took barely anytime at all. What she found made her pause. Men with weapons and the machines that Bruce said were for battle surrounded a house. (After she saw such a machine the first time she had asked Bruce about it, unsure exactly what use they would have. He had said they were built for transporting people, but some used them for fighting and destruction. For war. Bruce had explained to her a bit about the countries in this world and how the operate after that – although he seemed rather confused as to why Sakura wouldn’t already be aware of what he said. This world was close to her own, surrounding much of their lives with military operations. However, here, they liked to pretend it wasn’t so.)

From this distance she could make out two figures inside; a woman she did not recognize and Bruce himself. She didn’t move closer to hear, simply hung back to observe the movements of the military personnel that hung to shadows like fresh-out-of-the-academy genin. For all that she didn’t like where this was going, she knew that making a move too soon could prove deadly.

Still, with so many of these people crawling around she was sure they wouldn’t miss one.

She tried to pick one of them that looked to be the same size as her, grabbing their metal weapon, and letting a henge disguise her into their uniform – a clunky thing that looked so restricting she wondered how they could properly fight. Sakura was a close-range fighter through and through, and for all that she knew she could take these men on in a fight there was the dilemma of not knowing what these weapons – guns, Bruce had called them - could _do._ In all the time that she had spent in this world she had yet to see them in action, and not knowing could get her injured or worse.

All the same Bruce was still in the building with the mystery woman, and Sakura couldn’t say for sure whether he was entirely unharmed or not. She was just about to make her first move when there was a shout from inside the building, and all at once the people around her had pulled their weapons. All of them aiming resolutely at the house.

Sakura stared. Surely Bruce alone did not justify this sort of response.

“Agent,” a hissed voice caught her attention, “what the hell are you doing? Get your weapon, we can’t let the hulk escape.”

Sakura met the man’s eyes without hesitation, but only felt confusion at his statement. _‘Hulk?’_

“I can’t believe they sent a rookie,” another muttered.

She took a step back as one of them tried to reach out and grab her – the henge she wore was a weak illusion, to touch her would surely break it, and that was the last thing she needed at the moment. (These people barely had chakra, to try and weave a genjutsu into their system would be difficult and for all her chakra control she never studied genjutsu the way Sasuke did, never bothered to learn more than a few basics and what she could use on patients at the hospital.) The soldier – because what else could they be – let out a frustrated huff of breath, but before they could try again they paused.

Just as suddenly as the soldiers had raised their weapons they were lowering them, and Sakura got the distinct feeling that it was now or never to duck out. So with silent steps she sunk back into the shadows, skirting the perimeter of the soldier’s set up until she was back near the road. Bruce would have come from this direction, so it would only make sense that she would as well. With the henge dropped, and the weapon left in the woods, she started walking towards the building, her fists clenched at her sides and a purpose in each step. Perhaps she could have approached as a soldier, sneaking into their midst, but this would work to her advantage – Bruce would be able to recognize her. She debated whether coming on strong was a good idea, but knowing her temper anything else wouldn’t last long enough to let her see Bruce.

“Ma’am,” a soldier said in the local dialect, approaching her, “I need to stop right there.”

She held in a snort, dodging around the man as he tried to step in her path. Sakura had no intentions of letting these people hold her back.

“Ma’am!” The man called after her.

“Hey,” a woman this time came up to her, her accent thick as she said the next sentence slowly. “Ma’am, I’m going to need you to come with me.”

Sakura eyed the way this soldier held her weapon, her stance at the ready, “I’m here to see my friend.”

“This is a restricted zone,” the woman said, “I’ll escort you back to town.”

“I’m here to see my friend,” she repeated herself, the words coming out with more demand. A soldier came up from behind her, a threat she knew, but one she was not going to let bend her to their will.

“Please, Ma’am, come with us.”

Out of the corner of her eye she saw movement, drawing her attention to the entrance of the building, where Bruce and the mystery woman were exiting. Stepping away from a reaching hand she sped into a jog, “Bruce!”

His eyes went wide as Sakura caught his attention, an aborted twitch of his hands and a glance towards the mystery woman told Sakura all she needed to know. Whatever was going on here, the people that took Bruce would not welcome her presence.

“Sakura,” Bruce moved towards her, but it was only a shuffled step or two before he stopped, “what are you doing here?”

“I told you I’d find you,” she said easily enough, her English heavily accented but understandable. She kept her tone purposefully light, even as soldiers gathered around them.

“Yes,” Bruce said slow, as if trying to understand something, “but _how_ did you find me?”

Sakura smiled behind her headwrap, “I have many talents.”

“Clearly,” Bruce muttered, his voice gaining volume with his next sentence. “Look, Sakura, some things have come up and I need to go.”

“Okay,” she said, watching with sharp eyes as the redheaded woman shifted, “where are we going?”

“No, Sakura,” Bruce gave a weak smile, awkward and almost concerned, “I think it’s best if you stay-.”

“Don’t be stupid,” she scoffed, arms crossing and pitching her voice to the same tone she used on Naruto when he was about to do something particularly short-sighted, “you’re not leaving me behind.”

“Bruce,” the woman said, “who is this?”

The woman’s tone of voice had Sakura on edge, but it was the sharpness in her eyes that told Sakura she knew that Bruce and she had been healing patients together for the past months.

“She’s just a friend,” Bruce said, tone wary, but the words were calculated, “she has nothing to do with this.”

“A friend?” The woman raised an eyebrow.

“Yes,” Sakura said, “which is exactly why I’m coming with you.” The words were directed at Bruce but there was a threat in the tone that the woman did good not to miss. “Those who abandon their friends are worse than trash.” the words rolled off her tongue in Japanese, a pang singing out in her chest as she said them. For all that Naruto took them to heart the quickest, after all that team seven had been through by the end of the war and the blond taking the hat, well, they all took up the saying with something of a fire.

“Alright,” the woman said after a moment, even as Bruce opened his mouth to protest. “I’m sure we could use a doctor, or, at the very least Fury will want to talk with her.”

Bruce look pained at the words, but Sakura could care less what questions these people threw her way – they had nothing that could top Ino’s own, and the blond made sure Sakura knew how to withstand any form of torture. Made sure Sakura understood what tricks the interrogators would try to use.

 

 

 

“What is that?” Sakura asked Bruce as they approached a strange metal _thing._ It had what she could only assume were wings, but the entire machine was metal, and Sakura couldn’t for the life of her understand how it worked.

“It’s a plane,” Bruce supplied, sounding the word out with care. One of the many advantages she found to not being fluent in English was that Bruce simply assumed she was asking how to say the word of whatever she pointed to instead of what she was actually asking.

“Plane,” she repeated the word to herself as the entered the contraption, taking in the seats lined against each side. It wasn’t particularly large she noted.

The woman – whose name she learned was Natasha Romanoff – made her way to the front, “It’ll be a long trip so get comfortable.”

Apparently, Sakura soon learned, the strange machine they called a plane could _fly._ She tried to not let she shock show, but she couldn’t say how well she succeeded. It left her wondering what would happen if they fell from such a height. Did the machine have some way to stop them from dying? And what did it run on? Like those machines on the ground she could feel no chakra.

The Elemental Nations she knew had machines, but they were few and only daimyo could really have any like those she saw on the ground. They never needed to learn how they worked because no shinobi would ever use them – too big for stealth missions, and practically a cage for those missions that required head-on fighting. Chakra could so easily tear the metal apart that it didn’t provide any real protection either. But she supposed for this world’s weapons such machines suited their needs.

No one spoke. The entire time they were in the machine they were surrounded by silence. Bruce, Sakura knew, was mad at her. She could live with his anger so long as it gave her the ability to protect him from whatever these people had planned. She didn’t know if Bruce knew they were following them – him, really, if this situation was any indication – but it made her think of when he told her to keep her chakra a secret, because there were people that would use it. Such a statement, with as much emotion as Bruce had said it with – loss, pain, regret – could only come from experience. Whatever these people wanted from Bruce wasn’t his abilities as a doctor.

When they reached their destination – a boat this time, only it could carry the weight of multiple planes, and was on a scale that Sakura had never seen – Romanoff left them with a promise to return as a few soldiers appeared to gather Bruce’s luggage. And it was then that Sakura let herself give into the curiosity that had been gnawing at her since they left.

“How does this work?” She asked Bruce, drawing the man’s attention.

“What?”

“The plane,” Sakura waved a hand at the machine, “how does it work?”

“Oh,” Bruce said, blinking at her, “I’m not really the best person to ask, that’s not really my area. Why?”

Sakura shrugged, “Just curious.”

Romanoff returned minutes later, a tall man beside her. Sakura shifted slightly, placing herself minutely in front of Bruce.

“Doctor Banner, and..” the man said trailing off as he looked at her.

“Sakura Haruno,” she said, returning the offered handshake.

“Steve Rogers,” he said, but his tone said she should already know that. “Pleasure to meet you.”

“They said you would be coming,” Bruce said, and it struck Sakura that perhaps they knew each other already. That perhaps this wasn’t what she originally thought.

“Word is you can find the cube.”

“Is that the only word on me?”

Sakura glanced at Bruce, a frown touching her lips as she rolled the words over – they were strange, as if he was expecting those around here to say something bad about him. For all that Bruce had seemed normal these months that they have worked together, Sakura was not blind to some of his more peculiar habits, nor to the looks that the soldiers had been giving him. He had secrets, that was obvious enough, it was just a matter of what that secret was.

“The only word I care about.”

Sakura held in a snort, this man seemed entirely honest with that statement, but she doubted that it was completely true. What interested her more, however, was this cube that they seemed to have lost, whatever it was must be important for them to fly Bruce all the way here.

She wanted to ask, to push and find out, but she knew it wasn’t the best time. Better to let everyone talk around her and piece it together herself.

“You three might want to head inside,” Romanoff said, drawing their attention, “it’s about to get hard to breath.”

“Is this thing a submarine?” Rogers looked at Romanoff in confused surprise.

Before Sakura could even open her mouth to ask Bruce spoke up, “It’s those boats that go underwater.”

Sakura blinked, having never heard of such a thing, but she nodded all the same acting as if she had every understanding of what he just said.

It wasn’t a submarine but a plane of some sort, they soon learned. And it left Sakura’s head spinning with the kind of power such machines had - there were ninjutsu that let you fly, summons that you could ride like Sasuke’s hawks, but nothing like this.

The inside was even more impressive, she had to admit, with computers that were leagues more advanced than what the hospital was using back in Konoha. She could hardly imagine how much easier it must be to organize patient files with something like this.

Or, she thought as she glanced at a machine with someone’s face on it – how much easier it was to spy.

“Doctor Banner, pleasure to have you on board.” A man who she could only assume was the leader of these soldiers shook Bruce’s hand. “And you,” the man said, turning to face Sakura, “must be the doctor I’ve heard so much about.”

Sakura kept her face blank, the man practically just admitted to spying, to knowing who she was and that she was a friend of Bruce. She shook the man’s hand, making sure her grip was just shy of too strong, “Pleasure…”

“You can call me Fury.”

“So, uh,” Bruce spoke up, “how long are we staying.”

“Once we have the tesseract you two are free to go.”

Sakura didn’t let herself believe it for a second but held her tongue.

“Where are you on that?” It took everything Sakura had to try and follow the conversation from there, but the words these people used were entirely foreign to her. What she could understand was that they were on a time crunch and that Bruce, at least understood what was happening.

The next thing she knew Romanoff was leading Bruce off, but as Sakura went to follow Fury stopped her, hand on her arm, “If you could wait a moment, Sakura, I would like to have a chat.”

“Of course,” she said before pointedly sitting at the table to their right – there may be more potential enemies here, but at least she knew exactly how to get out of the plane from this point.

“Perhaps a more private location would be best.”

“I have nothing to hide.” She smiled at the man, all gumdrop sweetness and warning – the smile she gave Sai every time he tried to slip out of the hospital while still injured. It was a dare really, she had no intentions of lying because the truth would be more advantageous than any lie. These people were resourceful, and although she didn’t understand the situation fully she could see that it would require at least _some_ combat. While she didn’t intend to reveal everything, she could afford to give away some. She would tell them what she told Bruce; a pile of truths without context or the ability to fully understand their significance.

“Why do I find that hard to believe,” the man said, sitting opposite her.

“Trust issues.” Sakura supplied, voice dry.

“Sense of humor,” Fury said, his voice light in a way that was entirely calculated. “Good. Now, why don’t you tell me where you’re from?”

“Konohagakure,” she said easily enough.

“Never heard of it.”

“We like to stay hidden.”

“Then what are you doing so far from home?”

“I’m head of the hospital,” Sakura said, “I came here to learn new medical techniques.”

“And you just happened to meet Banner.” The words aren’t said like a question, but Sakura takes them like one anyway.

“Yes.” She nodded.

“Well, that’s a nice story,” Fury said, eyes hard, “but why don’t you tell me the truth. Who do you work for?”

“I don’t _work_ for anyone,” she huffed.

“You really expect me to believe that you are from some unheard of place, traveling to learn about medicine, and that you just so happened to run into Doctor Banner?”

“You seem to care a lot about who Bruce makes friends with,” Sakura countered, ignoring the question, “why?”

“Don’t pretend like you don’t know.”

“Don’t know what?” She ground out.

“Look,” Fury said, shifting in his seat to lean back, “we’re playing nice here because the good Doctor seems to like you, but that can all change if you don’t start cooperating.”

“I’m telling the truth,” she insisted. “What do you want? Proof?”

“That would be nice.”

With a huff she dug into her weapons pouch, shifting aside several storage scrolls before pulling out her headband – her old one, that she wore during the war, she kept it tucked in her pouch at all times, a reminder of what she fought for and lived through. Her newer one still sat at her desk in the hospital, where she left it at the end of her shift because she was too tired to go back and retrieve it.

She placed the headband on the table, “This is Konoha’s symbol.”

“And this is your proof?” The man looked at the band for a moment before reaching out to grab it. Sakura’s hand unconsciously moved to snatch it back, she refrained, but the stuttered motion caught the man’s eye, and whatever conclusions it made him draw seemed to be enough. “Alright, Haruno, let’s say I believe you. Why did you insist on following Banner here?”

“Those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their friends are worse than trash,” she said in Japanese. The man had said her last name with ease and fluency that someone who had not studied the language would not have. It was a test, really, to see if her theory was right.

“That’s an interesting motto to live by.” English, not Japanese, but a clear sign that he can understand the language, at the very least.

Sakura gave a small smile, “It’s a good one.”

“Well, Doctor Haruno,” Fury said as he rose to his feet, “welcome aboard.”

 

 

 

“So you’re a captain,” Sakura said to the blond man as they watch the soldiers move around. She had been unable to find someone willing to help her find Banner, and she honestly didn’t trust herself to try and make her way through the ship without getting turned around.

“I was,” he said, “or, still am, I guess.”

She hummed, Sakura knew several shinobi who felt the same way – those who had lost all of their teammates on a mission tended to feel they didn’t deserve the title anymore, or even considered themselves to no longer be captains because what was a captain without their team?

“I, uh, fought in the second world war,” he continued, “then I ended up frozen in the sea and by the time they found me… Well, they said we won the war sixty years ago.”

 _That,_ however, caught Sakura’s attention. Did people live for that long in this world? Or was this man different?

“You fought in a war sixty years ago?” Her voice came out pitched high with her disbelief.

Rogers chuckled, “Could hardly believe it myself when I found out.”

Sakura would have said more but one of the computers blared, seemingly demanding attention from everyone in the room. “We got a hit, sixty-seven percent match,” the man at the computer said. “Wait, crossmatch, seventy-nine percent. He’s in Stuttgart, Germany, and he’s not exactly _hiding,_ Sir.”

“This is the man who stole the tesseract?” Sakura asked, staring at the screen.

“His name’s Loki,” Fury confirmed, before turning to Rogers. “Captain, you’re up.”

Rogers nodded, already moving away from the computers, “I’m going too.” Sakura moved to follow the captain; the sooner they find the tesseract the better, and if this is the man that took it then she wasn’t about to let that slip through her fingers. “If this man is dangerous there’ll be injured civilians.”

Fury said nothing, simply watched her. She took that as a yes.

They left within minutes, Romanoff once more piloting as the plane took them to Germany – a country she assumed, as there seemed to be so many of them in this world. They arrived at their destination just as Loki proclaimed his rule of humanity and shot a blast of energy at an elderly man. Rogers moved to intercept at the same time Sakura did. She hit the ground first, back to the blast and braced for the searing pain that was sure to come with getting hit. The pain never came, however, and she turned just enough to see that Rogers had blocked it with his shield.

“Thanks,” she said, steadying the elder man and rising to her feet to guard the man’s back. The clones that surrounded the crowd may be illusions but that said nothing for what they could or couldn’t do.

“You know, the last time I was in Germany,” Rogers said, over the crowd’s sudden chatter, “and I saw a man standing above everybody else, we ended up disagreeing.”

“The soldier,” Loki said, but the clones did not move forward. Sakura frowned, she couldn’t move the people without making sure the clones were occupied. “The man out of time.”

“The only one out of time here, is you.”

Two clones popped into existence beside her, starting to herd the people from the square, now was not the time to think about keeping her abilities a secret. She was a shinobi, if Fury’s organization came after her, she would simply disappear.

“Loki,” Romanoff’s voice came from the plane they had arrived in, “drop the staff, and stand down.”

The clones did nothing as the people passed by them, flickering slightly but making no move to stop the crowd. Sakura held in a sigh of relief. Her clones skirted the edges of the square, making their way to the group that stood to Loki’s back, all while she went to where she could see burning cars. She’d let Rogers deal with the fighting for now, her priority was helping the injured.

Opening the car door, she pulled the occupants out, laying them a distance away and checking for any immediate injuries. A concussion a few cuts and a broken rib or two, but nothing she overly concerning. Within a minute she had the ribs healed and was moving on to the next patient.

It was just as she was finishing with the last patient that a woman came up to her, tears in her eyes and a desperation in her voice that had Sakura’s instincts rising. With a nod she followed the woman, only to find a small girl with her leg stuck under the weight of a flipped car, the car was thankfully empty, leaving her to focus on the girl’s situation.

The woman was speaking but Sakura couldn’t understand a word of it. She bit her lip. She could lift the car but the pressure of the metal may have caused the girl’s blood to clot, lifting the car could kill her. But to leave her here would do the same. She would need to be fast, if she could stop the clot and use chakra to break it up before it reached the heart then the girl would be fine, but that only gave her seconds. To lift a car in a few seconds wouldn’t be something she could explain away.

Neither were the clones, however.

With chakra in her muscles she grabbed the metal machine and lifted. It was lighter than she expected, she had to admit, but she barely gave that a thought as she moved the car to the side and knelt beside the girl, her chakra immediately entering the girl’s system. Sakura felt a measure of relief at the fact no clot had formed, the bone in the leg however, was crushed and there was little that even her chakra could do to right such an injury without at least an hour, and seals. She could, however stop the bleeding from the cuts and encourage the girl’s immune system to clear out any potential infections.

Sakura lifted the girl up after her chakra faded, bringing her over to the rest of the injured – it would be easier for whatever medical team arrived if all the patients were in one place. The woman, who Sakura assumed was the mother, followed her, letting out a string of words Sakura still couldn’t understand, but there was less desperation in them and so she counted that as a win.

Sakura made it back to the square just in time to see a metal man shoot Loki into the stairs of the building and land. Music that had not been there before blasting into the night sky. Whoever this was, she assessed, was on their side.

“Make your move, Reindeer Games,” the machine said. And Sakura watched in interest as Loki’s armor disappeared, the illusion melting away. “Smart move.”

Sakura walked closer, standing on Roger’s other side, “Mr. Stark,” the captain greeted.

“Captain,” the man replied, glancing over and catching Sakura’s eyes, “and who might you be?”

“Sakura,” she said.

“You really embraced the name, I see.”

Sakura scowled, “It’s _natural._ ”

“Really?”

“Stark,” Romanoff’s voice sounded out before anything more could be said, “we don’t have time for this, get Loki on the jet and let’s go.”

 

 

 

“It’s a suit,” Sakura said with disbelief, running her fingers over the metal. “How do you get it on?”

“Like puzzle pieces, Pinkie.” Sakura didn’t bother correcting the name again, she had been called worse by Sai.

“But how does it fly?”

“Thrusters.”

Sakura gave him a flat look, even as she didn’t know what that _meant,_ “And the weapons? Do you use seals to store them?” She said it before she even realized the words were out of her mouth.

“Seals?” Stark snorted, “Like magic?”

Sakura huffed, “Forget it.” She left the man to Roger’s company, instead sitting across from their prisoner. This world was full of strange technology, the likes of which she doubted she’d ever see in Konoha – at least not in her life time. So what she was curious? She was medic – a _scientist_ – and just the thought of how many ways such technology could help heal people left her head spinning. She would have to let Naruto know that she wanted more funding to put into medical research when she got back.

 _‘If she got back,’_ her traitorous mind supplied; she had yet to find even a clue to how to get back, not that she had tried looking particularly hard. The seal that had sent her here was gone, burned away in the process, and Sage she hoped Naruto wasn’t blaming himself – the knucklehead had helped her designed the seal for field use, as a way to try and stall whatever injury they had, almost like freezing the patient in time. It would have been particularly useful for those who had been poisoned. Naruto had brought her the finished seal, excited for her to try it and sure that they had got it right this time. She hadn’t even bothered to look at his changes, just taken the seal from the blond and tried it on a lab rat.

The pain had been excruciating.

The rat had died.

And while she discovered she could summon her slugs, they couldn’t reserve summon her – informing her teammates that she was still alive was a small comfort, but from what they have told her it didn’t go over well.

Even if she _could_ recreate the seal, there was no guarantee that should would end up back home, and every chance that she would go to another dimension instead. She needed a sure-fire way to get back, or else it would all be for not.

The sound of thunder splitting apart the sky brought her out of her thoughts, she would have ignored it, as thunderstorms were not uncommon during Konoha’s rainy season, but there was a burst of energy that was closer to chakra. It made something in her chest sing with hope.

Loki, too, leaned forward, catching the attention of Stark and Rogers.

“What’s the matter, scared of a little thunder?” Rogers asked.

Loki’s eyes seemed to scoff at the man, but his face was an open book – too open, Sakura thought, “I’m not overly fond of what follows.”

As if on cue there was a thud on from the top of the plane – jet, Romanoff had called it – shaking the entire contraption. “What the hell was that?” Romanoff’s voice sounded with concern. Without further prompt Sakura was on her feet, Stark already walking towards the back of the plane, intention in each step as he opened the door.

“What are you doing?” Rogers called after Stark.

Sakura almost repeated the question when Stark didn’t reply, but her words were lost as a man dropped down onto the platform the door had made. She took in his hammer, and the way he carried himself like a warrior.

Her fists tightened.

Stark raised a hand, but the newcomer hit the man back like he was nothing. Sakura couldn’t help but feel a ring of excitement go through her – it had been so long since she had a good fight. Since coming here she had only found back alley brawls and a few hours of practicing katas each day. Nothing like the exhilaration of a good battle or spar. She never considered herself hungry for fights, but after going so long without one she could understand their appeal.

As the blond tried to step towards Loki Sakura moved in the way, stance firm and chakra at the ready. The man reached out as if to simply push her aside, but Sakura moved under the hand and aimed a punch at his stomach that sent him into the side of the jet, leaving a dent in the metal.

“He’s ours,” Sakura said.

“You are from Midgard?” The man asked, as he pulled himself from the ground.

“What?”

Stark attacked again then, but the man ducked under the fist, this time shoving Stark into Sakura. Even as she braced for it, the impact sent both of them back by a foot. Enough room for the blond to grab Loki and leap out of the plane. Sakura let out a frustrated huff of breath. Stark regained his balance a moment latter, already moving towards the platform without a word.

“Stark,” Rogers called, “we need a plan!”

“I have a plan,” Stark started, but Sakura grabbed the man’s arm before he could jump from the platform, her eyes blazing.

“Give me a ride,” she said, voice hard and leaving no room for argument.

Stark paused, his metal helmet covered his face and leaving her at a disadvantage, but Sakura didn’t intend to let that dissuade her. “Sure, Pinkie.”

Flying, she thought, felt a lot like falling.

Stark slowed just enough to drop her off as he sped into the blond that took Loki from them. She met Loki’s gaze with a raised eyebrow, this is the man that would enslave humanity – Sakura held in a snort, he would have to go through her first. This may not be her world, her _dimension,_ but that meant little in the face of saving it from a would-be god. “You didn’t think you’d get away that easily, right?”

“You’re not from Midgard, are you?” The words are said in Japanese and it takes Sakura a moment to reply.

“You can speak Japanese.”

“It’s the All Tongue, all Asgardians learn it,” Loki told her, his tone condescending in a way that made her bristle. Her fists clenched; she had worked hard to keep her anger in check, but at this moment she doesn’t care. She takes a breath and counts back from ten, but as a spark of lightening caught she attention she thinks that perhaps anger in a situation like this wasn’t that bad.

“Just,” she started, a water clone forming next to her as she kept her attention on the fight taking place in the woods, “stay here.”

With her chakra at the ready she leapt into the fight, just as the blond got to his feet after Stark’s attack. With a shout she brought her fist down, watching in satisfaction as the earth split beneath her, sending boulders in all directions, uprooting trees and shaking the very foundations.

“That’s enough!” She rose to her feet, distinctly reminded of all the times she had to separate Naruto and Sasuke when their spars threatened to spill over into the village. Hopping onto one of the boulders to give herself a better view she met the stunned face of the blond and silence of Stark without hesitation. “Are we done here?”

The two of them slowly stood, pushing aside debris to allow them to rise, “What- How the hell did you do that?” Stark asked as he took in the wreckage around them more thoroughly.

“You are not of this world,” the blond said as he came to stand on boulder across from her.

“Can it, blondie,” she snapped, “I don’t know what you think you’re doing here-.”

“I’m here to put an end to Loki’s schemes.”

Sakura narrowed her eyes, “Then we’re on the same side.”

“It would seem so,” the blond conceded, but the grip on his hammer remained tight – ready at a moment’s notice.

“So, what, are we just going to hold hands and sing kumbaya, now?” Stark said, voice full of a humor that did nothing for the still tense atmosphere.

“Kumbaya?” She repeated the word, slow as to not mess up the pronunciation.

“Oh god, you really are an alien.”

“Stark, that’s enough,” Roger’s voice had them all turning around. He stood on an uprooted tree, looking down at them with his shield at the ready, “If everything’s settled then I’ll get Romanoff to swing around and pick us up.”

 

 

 

“Real power,” Sakura said with a snort as they watched Fury leave Loki in his cage.

“He really grows on you, doesn’t he?” Bruce said from where he stood behind her.

“Loki’s going to drag this out,” Rogers sighed. “So, Thor, what’s his play?”

“He’s bringing an army to attack earth, called the chitauri,” Thor explained, turning to face them, “they are not of the nine realms, or any realm surrounding, and they will win him the earth.”

“Aliens,” Sakura said, voice dry. Great. Just great. It’s not like she had enough of them with Kaguya.

“That’s why he needs a portal, and why he took Doctor Selvig,” Bruce said.

“Selvig?” Thor’s brows furrowed.

“He’s an astrophysicist.”

“He’s a friend.”

“Loki put him under some kind of spell, along with one of our own.” Romanoff said.

“Spell?” Sakura asked, catching Romanoff’s eyes.

“He’s controlling their minds,” she elaborated. Sakura frowned, leaning back in her chair, it sounded similar to a genjutsu if she was being honest.

“I want to know why Loki let us take him. He’s not leading an army from here.” Rogers said, sweeping his gaze over the group.

“I don’t think we should focus on Loki,” Bruce said, “you can smell crazy on him.”

“Be careful how you speak,” Thor said, taking a step forward, “Loki is of Asgard, and he is my brother.”

“He killed seventy people in two days.” Romanoff said deliberately.

“He’s adopted.”

“I think it’s about the mechanics, what do they need the iridium for?” Bruce spoke up again.

“It’s a stabilizing agent,” Stark said by way of greeting as he walked into the room with a suited man. “It means the portal won’t collapse on itself like it did before.” Stark passes Thor then, patting the man on the bicep, “No hard feelings, pointbreak, you got a mean swing.” He doesn’t allow the blond time to respond, moving over to the screens.

“So what, that means the portal will stay open?” Sakura asks, eyebrow raised.

“For as long as Loki wants, Pinkie,” Stark nodded.

Stark, Sakura thought as the man continued to talk, took theatrics to a whole other level, but not a level high enough to cover up whatever he stuck to the underside of the monitor. At least, not to her eyes.

“Would Loki need any specific energy source?” Rogers asked.

Bruce answered, using words that Sakura couldn’t even be sure were English, but Stark seemed to understand, answering in much the same manner, losing Sakura completely.

“Finally,” Stark said, spreading his arms, “someone who speaks English.”

“That’s English?” Sakura muttered, looking between the two as Stark reached out and shook Bruce’s hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, I’m a big fan,” Stark said, losing Sakura with whatever he said next, that was, until he mentioned Bruce turning into a giant rage monster.

“What?” Sakura said, turning in her chair to more fully face Bruce.

“I’ll, uh, explain later,” Bruce told her, his hands wringing.

“Don’t worry, big guy,” Stark said, “I think she could take the green giant in a fight. Ain’t that right, Pinkie? I mean, you didn’t seem to have any problem with punching a crater in the ground.”

“What-,” Bruce turned to face her, “you punched a crater in the ground?”

Sakura held in an eye roll, “I concentrated chakra into my fist and when I released it, it… made a crater.”

“She punched a crater in the ground,” Stark nodded as if what Sakura just said was the same thing. Which, she conceded, it really _was._

“I’ll explain later,” she said with a sigh.

“I hope you’re planning to share with the whole class, Haruno.” Fury said as he entered the room. “And, Stark, Doctor Banner is only here to help track the cube. I was hoping you might join him.”

“We should start with that weapon of his,” Rogers said. “It may seem magical, but it looks a lot like a Hydra weapon.”

“I don’t know about that,” Fury replied. “But it is powerful, and I want to know how Loki managed to turn two of my brightest into his personal flying monkeys.”

“Flying monkeys?” Thor and her said at the same time.

“You’re really not from here, are you?” Stark said, voice light but there was no real humor in it. He didn’t wait for a response, turning to Bruce instead, “Want to go see what toys they’ve given us?”

“This way,” Bruce said easily enough.

Sakura watched them go, she trusted Bruce to take care of himself. She had other plans.

“Thor,” she said as she rose to her feet, the blond turned to her, gaze expecting, “Can we talk?” As they all dispersed Sakura followed Thor; knowing your enemy is a golden rule of a shinobi’s life, and Thor knew Loki the best out of all of them. They stopped when they reached the large windows that overlooked the world beneath them.

“What do you want to know?” There were quite a few things she wanted to know, some of which she was not sure if Thor would be able to tell her.

“Tell me about your brother.”

Like what exactly Loki did to Bruce.


	2. Chapter 2

Thor looked at her with worn eyes; the kind that she had seen in Naruto and in the mirror whenever Sasuke came to mind. Back before the war ended, back before Naruto dragged the bastard back to the village and asked him to stay. There was little comfort that she could offer, little that anyone could offer. But at least she could offer an ear, offer to _listen._

“Last time I came to this world I brought Loki’s rage with me, and now again,” Thor said, staring into the sky.

“You shouldn’t blame yourself for you brother’s actions,” Sakura told him, “his choices are his own.” She had seen the way Kakashi tore himself apart after the war. After they found out it was Obito behind everything, no matter that the Uchiha helped them in the end. Kakashi had blamed himself, his youth and obsession with the rules in his genin days.

“He was not always like this. Loki loved mischief and pranks, but they were not the violent kind. He did not seek war,” Thor said, a bitter smile coming to his face, wet with tears that could not fall. “He once transformed into a snake. And I love snakes, you know, so I went to pick him up and he changed back with a shout and stabbed me.” The story came on a laugh, humored but sad.

“He stabbed you?”

“Yes, I was furious at the time, but now…” Thor continued after a long moment, his voice heavy. “He said he lived in my shadow.”

Sakura’s lips tugged into a frown for a moment, living in the shadows of a sun was not exactly pleasant – she should know, she lived in the shadow of two powerhouses for so long. But it had taught her more than anything else. “Weakness is a choice. He did not have to stay in those shadows.” No matter how difficult it was to move out of them, no matter how much work it may have taken.

“But now it is not just power he craves, it is vengeance,” Thor told her.

“I don’t think he ever wanted power,” Sakura said, voice soft even as she savored the opportunity to speak in her native tongue, “power was just a means to an end.”

“And what would that end be?”

“Recognition.” The word scraped over her tongue, so close to her own reality that it tasted sour. She remembered those years of insecurity and assurance she could never reach her teammates, that she would forever be looking at their backs. “But I could be wrong,” she gave Thor a weak smile, “psychology has always been Ino’s area.”

“Ino is your friend?”

“One of my closest,” Sakura smiled soft and warm even as her chest ached, “she’s beautiful too, I always meant to…”

“Always meant to what?”

Sakura let out a sound that was but a mockery of a laugh, “To tell her how I felt… but, well, I don’t think I’ll get the chance. No use crying over something that can never be.” She glanced out into the clouds, “I don’t even know why I’m telling you this.” Truly, she didn’t. Not even Bruce new this much.

Thor stared at her, his eyes seeming to see through her in a way only Naruto had ever been able to achieve. “Tell me about your world.”

“This _is_ my world,” she said, but the words were weak even to her own ears.

“Do not take me for a fool,” Thor snorted, light humor in his eyes, “you are not from this world, same as I.”

Sakura huffed a breath but nodded at the assessment all the same. “I’m from Konohagakure, in the Elemental Nations. Konoha is… not peaceful, but as close to it as my home could get.” She smile, small and warm, with a fire that burned but did not blaze, “It was filled with trees taller than many of the buildings in this world. The first Hokage grew them with his chakra, they protect the village. We’re one of the military nations. _Shinobi._ ” The words spilled from her. A trickle that turned into a waterfall, breaking through the defenses that she placed with such ease it scared her. Thor, though, listened to it all.

“Your home sounds nice.”

And he _believed_ her.

“It is. I ran the hospital. My friend, Naruto, helped me make a seal to heal patients suffering from poison. It would make sure they’d make it back to the village before the poison could kill them. It was all experimental, but the last seal I tried… it sent me here. I’m not even sure I’m in the same dimension anymore.” She looked away, “Not even Bruce knows,” she whispered the words, but Thor caught them all the same.

“Banner is a good man,” he said with a nod.

“He is,” Sakura agreed easily enough. “But I’m afraid Loki’s done something to him.”

“What?”

“There is a strange energy clinging to him,” Sakura explained, biting her thumb, “it’s similar to Loki’s.”

Thor nodded, bring a hand up to touch his chin in thought, “What Stark said earlier about Banner turning into a monster…”

“Do you think Loki is after the monster?”

“He might be, but his mind is so far afield that there is no telling what he’s planning.”

Sakura let out a sigh through her nose, she could feel a headache building. “You said you are not from this world,” she said after a moment, “where are you from?”

“Asgard. A realm of gold and peace, it is a beautiful place at the top of the world tree.” He turned then, placing a hand on Sakura’s shoulder and smiling, “When this is over I will take you there, perhaps my father can help you return home.”

Sakura couldn’t help the small flower of hope that bloomed in her chest, “Thank you.”

“It is no trouble,” Thor said with a nod. “It will give us a chance to spar, as well.”

Sakura felt a grin split her face, warm but sharp, “I look forward to it.”

 

 

 

Loki was pacing in the glass container – not a cage, because something told her he was exactly where he wanted to be – when she walked into the room. Captivity, she knew, could be boring for prisoners, and boredom could lead to letting down your guard. Ino used that to her advantage on more than one occasion

“So,” Sakura started, noting the way the man didn’t flinch, though the way his jaw tensed said he almost did, “how’s Real Power doing? Want that magazine yet?”

“What use could such Midgardian entertainment have when you will offer it all on your own?”

Sakura hummed, she was not one for interrogations, that was Ino’s skill. She was not Naruto either, not made of sunshine and kindness. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t make Loki talk.

“You seem quite confident for a guy in a cage.”

“I am not the one who is trapped,” Loki said, walking forward until he was forced to stop by the glass.

“And I am?” Sakura raised an eyebrow.

“Your energy is not of this world,” Loki said, eyes focused for the first time in the conversation. “Barton told me everything about Fury’s little team of heroes,” Loki continued, “except you. You aren’t supposed to be here. The anomaly.”

“That bothers you,” Sakura assessed.

“Oh, no,” Loki said, throwing his hands wide with a smile that showed too many teeth, “it intrigues me. It makes this more interesting.”

“I’m glad I could help,” she said, dry as Suna’s deserts.

“But you are, aren’t you,” Loki’s smile grew, “you need to prove you can help, that you can be… useful.”

Sakura met the man’s eyes head on, “I don’t need to prove anything.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, my dear.”

“But you,” Sakura walked closer to the cage, ignoring his comment, “you have everything to prove, don’t you?” She had spent years running after Naruto and Sasuke, watching the two run circles around each other; she knew what it looked like when someone was reaching for a goal just another training session away. She knew what it felt like to stand in the shadows of the sun. “It’s why you chose earth, to spite your brother.”

“Did Thor tell you that?” Loki laughed a humorless sound. “That’s just like my brother. Always making it about himself.”

Sakura met those blue eyes head on, not even flinching at the anger in them – the spite and madness Loki held could hardly hold a candle to the looks Sasuke shot her way when he was hunting Itachi. “Are you sure it’s him who’s doing that?”

Loki’s smile faltered but did not disappear entirely. His silence was all Sakura needed to continue.

“You did something to Bruce,” she said, “I want to know what.”

“Ah, yes,” Loki said, voice filled with mockery, “you’re _friends_ with that monster _._ ”

“Bruce is no monster,” Sakura replied.

“Oh,” Loki leaned forward, “how fascinating. He never told you?”

Sakura raised an eyebrow, “That he turns into a green giant? I know.”

“Yet you say he’s not a monster.” Loki matched her expression.

Sakura thought of Kurama before Naruto got the better of the fox, thought of Madara and Kaguya and of the rapists that she killed a few weeks ago. “I have met many monsters,” she told Loki. “Bruce is not one of them.”

“And what monsters have you faced?”

“I did not come here to talk about myself,” she said, ignoring the question. “If you don’t tell me what you did to Bruce then I’ll figure it out myself.”

“Let’s just say I’ve expanded his freedom.”

“So I was right,” Sakura murmured, spinning on her heal and leaving the room. Her steps sped up the farther she got from Loki; she needed to get to Bruce and she needed to get there _fast_. While the conversation served to confirm her suspicions it also let her see that Loki himself was nothing but a petulant child whose actions served as a means to lash out against his restraints. And while Sakura knew she did not have the full story, there was no way Loki himself did not play a part in placing himself in his current position. Perhaps if Naruto were here Loki could be swayed from his path, but he wasn’t and Sakura still did not understand how Naruto could command so much charisma that even their enemies’ wills would bend.

She passed Romanoff in the hall, and gave the redhead a small smile, “He’s all warmed up.”

“Did you find anything out?”

“He’s after Bruce,” Sakura said, “but I’ve got it covered.”

The woman nodded before continuing down the hall. Sakura didn’t spare a moment to watch her go, she had to find Bruce’s labs. Turning another corner she came face to face with the soldier – agent, she thinks they refer to themselves as – that joined them during the meeting. Stark had entered with him, called him Phil, she thought.

“Ms. Haruno,” the man greeted, “I don’t think I’ve had a chance to introduce myself,” he held out a hand for her to shake. “Agent Coulson, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Pleasure,” Sakura said as she shook his hand, “could you tell me where Bruce is?”

“He and Stark are still in the labs,” Coulson told her, “I could take you there if you like.”

She gave him a small smile, “If it’s not too much trouble.”

“No trouble at all,” he started down the hall in the direction he had been coming from, “it’s this way.”

They talked about simple things on the way to the labs; the weather, and SHIELD’s history. Safe topics that did not pry into Sakura’s past or reveal much about Coulson other than his fascination with past events. The labs were, surprisingly, close by and took little time to reach.

“Sakura,” Bruce said as she entered, “is everything alright?”

“Yes… well, no,” she said with a frown, “I just…” she took in the weapon on the table, the hardened lines of Fury’s face and the stone cold anger between Stark and Rogers, “is everything alright here?”

“SHIELD’s been very naughty,” Stark told her, though his voice lacked any humor, “creating weapons of mass destruction and all.”

“Did you know about this?” Bruce asked Coulson.

“Do you want to think about removing yourself from this environment, Doctor?” He said instead of answering.

“I was pretty well removed.”

“Loki’s manipulating you,” Coulson explained, taking a few steps forward.

“And you’re doing what exactly?” Bruce shot back, backing away from the man.

“He’s right,” Sakura spoke up, “Loki attached some kind of energy to you.”

“And you’re only telling me this now?” Bruce looked at her with wide eyes.

“Just… stand still for a moment.” Bruce looked at her with concern but did not move as she approached him, “I think Loki placed a genjutsu of sorts on you.”

“A what?”

Sakura huffed, “I don’t know the English, but it’s not good, okay?”

“Woah, no,” Bruce said, but he still did not back away even as Sakura’s hand glowed green with chakra, “if Loki did something to me it is _not_ okay.”

She placed her hands on his head, letting her chakra scan his system – there was something strange to him that had nothing to do with Loki, but Sakura guessed it was the strange giant he turned into that caused the oddities her scan.

“Wait, what is she doing,” Stark finally spoke up, “why are her hands glowing?”

“It’s chakra,” she said, “and I’m trying to see if I can fix whatever genjutsu Loki placed, but his energy isn’t the same as mine so…” she trailed off as her chakra brushed against _something._

“So… what?” Bruce asked, “Can you get rid of it?”

“I don’t know,” she said truthfully.

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

She rolled her eyes, “Will you just be quiet? I need to concentrate.” The others shifted restlessly, and she peripherally noted the way Thor and Natasha joined them, but she pushed these distractions away as her chakra tried to chase that _something_ again. She brushed against that something again, but it slithered away like a snake, avoiding her prodding chakra at every turn.

Whatever Loki had done she couldn’t draw it out. With a scowl she pulled away, backing up a few steps as she thought. She could try isolating the strange energy, but she didn’t think that would help all that much, and clearly trying to purge or even cleanse it form his system was useless.

“Well?” Stark pressed, voice expectant.

Sakura shook her head, “His energy is too different from chakra for me to do anything.”

“So, what, I’m stuck with Loki digging around my head?” Bruce demanded, his voice filled with angry fear.

“Doctor Banner, I need you to calm down,” Romanoff took a few steps toward Bruce, again, only this time he did not back away.

“I am calm, I’ve had a handle on the hulk for years, Loki won’t change that.” Bruce countered, “But what I want to know is why SHIELD is using the tesseract to build weapons of mass destruction.”

The room went silent, everyone staring expectantly at Fury as the tension built.

“Because of him,” Fury finally said, pointing towards Thor without bothering to look at the blond.

“Because of me?” Thor asked, looking equal parts baffled and offended.

“Last year,” Fury began, “Earth had a visitor from another planet who had a grudge match that _leveled_ a small town. We learned that not only are we not alone, but we are hopelessly… hilariously, out-gunned.”

Sakura snorted, the sound ripping from her throat before she could even hope to stop it. “So, you’re playing with forces you don’t understand in order to what… try and get the bigger stick?” All she could see was Naruto, a jinchuriki by force and for political gain that, in the end, did nothing but harm Konoha’s relations with other villages. All she could see was a Fourth War that killed so many. All she could see was a monster that was of their own making. “Peace through fear is not real peace,” she bit out. “Whatever, _whoever,_ comes after you now is of your own doing, Loki included.”

“What would you know?” Fury rounded on her, “You’re not even from this world.” At the silence that followed the man snorted, “What, you didn’t think we’d hear your little conversation with Thor?”

Sakura grit her teeth, a fire blazing to life her in eyes as she stared the man down. “From this world or not, I am _right._ ”

“She is,” Thor stepped up beside her, “you using the tesseract is a signal to all the other realms that the earth is ready for a higher form of war.”

“You forced our hand,” Fury said, “we had to come up-.”

“A nuclear deterrent,” Stark interrupted. “Cause that always calms everything right down.”

“Remind me again how you made your fortune, Stark.”

It all devolved from there, one shouting match after another, talking over each other without listening. And Sakura was no better, her anger burst hot and fast in her veins as it always did, her fists clenching at her sides as insults started flying.

“Agent Romanoff,” Fury said as things started to become quieter – not calmer, no, the tension in the room was still too high to call it calm, “would you please escort Doctor Banner to-.”

“To where?” Bruce interrupted, “You rented my room.”

“The cage was just in case-.”

“In case you needed to kill me.” It came out as a fact, and Sakura did not doubt that it was, “But you can’t, I know, I _tried._ ”

The room fell silent at that, a hushed stutter that felt heavier than the tension before. “Bruce?” Sakura asked, voice soft as she reached out a hand but stopped, unsure how to approach her friend.

“I got low,” he explained, glancing at her for only a moment, “I didn’t see a way out so I put a bullet in my mouth and the other guy spit it back out. And then I focused on helping people, on healing them, until you people decided to drag be back into the middle of everything.”

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, _anything,_ but the words were lost to the blaring of an alarm from one of the machines. Just as Bruce reached the screen an explosion that wracked the entire ship. It sent Sakura into the table, cracking her head against the metal with a smack. As she pulled herself to her feet Sakura’s vision swam, blurring around the edges even as healing chakra rushed to heal the injury. Stark and Rogers were already running from the room, Thor not far behind them. Fury had all but disappeared with Coulson, but Sakura barely paid this any mind.

“Bruce?” She called out tentatively, her eyes clearing as she took in the room.

“Down here,” Romanoff’s voice came soft, but it carried enough for Sakura to hear.

Sakura stumbled for only a second as she took her first step towards the broken glass wall, gritting her teeth and forcing her legs to _work_ as she glanced down to find Romanoff and Bruce at the bottom. They seemed unhurt, but Romanoff’s leg was stuck under a metal beam and Bruce seemed… off, she supposed was the best way to describe the way his body moved.

A chill went down her spine. The last time she had seen anything like this was when Naruto had struggled for control with Kurama – back before the war, back before Pein, even.

“Shit,” she muttered, dropping down on light feet before Romanoff. Without a moment of hesitation she lifted the metal debris keeping Romanoff down, “I’m going to get you out of here, okay?”

“Bruce is going to-.”

“I know,” Sakura interrupted getting an arm around Romanoff’s shoulder and another under her knees before jumping back to the window they had dropped through. “How’s your ankle?”

“Sprained,” Romanoff assessed as she stood on it. “I’ll be fine, get back to Bruce.”

A roar split through the ship then, “That’s-.”

“The Hulk,” Romanoff confirmed, a spike of fear in her voice that Sakura hadn’t heard from the redhead before – she always seemed too composed to show such emotion.

“I’ll handle it,” Sakura told her, already dropping back through the window and sliding from the platform to the floor below were a figure stood, far too large for any human. Sakura licked her lips, footsteps silent as she approached from behind, “Bruce?” She called his name, tentative and soft, trying not to startle him.

The Hulk turned, eyes filled with an anger that made the breath in her lungs catch. “Shit.”

She caught the first punch thrown her way, but the force of it sent a shockwave through her arm, her bones rattling. Sakura grit her teeth, taking in the tight area – she needed more space if she wanted to minimize injury to herself and damage to the ship. She dropped to the ground as Hulk pulled back for a second punch, sweeping her leg around with chakra flowing through every muscle, she took the giant’s legs out from under him, sending him onto his back.

Taking the opportunity for what it was Sakura turned and sprinted further into the room; ducking as a ball of metal flew over her head. This, she thought, was far from an ideal situation.

“Bruce, if you’re in there,” she started, calling the words over her shoulder, but Hulk roared before she could continue, lunging at her and forcing her to pull herself onto a metal railing above. Not that it helped all that much, as the giant burst up from behind her. With a frustrated huff of breath, she sprinted towards the lit hallway in front of her, the Hulk hot on her heels.

She slid to a stop at the first widening of the path, turning to meet the Hulk’s punch, she ducked around the green fist, and let her own connect with its stomach. It sent him back down the hall, but not for long. Hulk shook the punch off far sooner than Sakura would have liked.

With a calming breath she widened her stance, bracing for the impact as Hulk raced towards her once more. Only, it never came. Sakura watched in mild annoyance as Thor collided with Hulk, sending them both through the wall and into the next room.

She followed after, watching as Thor and Hulk rose from their positions on the floor. “Bruce,” she called out once more, “I know you’re in there!”

“No Banner!” The giant cried out, “Only Hulk!”

Thor caught her eye and nodded, even as he was forced to duck around a rather sloppy punch from Hulk. Taking the opportunity that Thor has given her by drawing Hulk’s attention, Sakura leapt onto the giant’s back using chakra to help her cling on. She wrapped her arms around his neck, clasping her hands and pulling to try and keep him from seeing Thor’s next attack. It worked. But only until Hulk reached around and grabbed hold of her, forcing her to let go as he threw her into Thor, sending them both rolling across the floor.

With a growl Sakura pushed to her feet and met Hulk’s attack with a fury, pushing his punch aside and delivering an uppercut that sent him into the ceiling, only to slam back into the floor.

“Plan?” She called to Thor as Hulk got up, keeping her eye on the giant.

“Don’t die?” Thor offered, coming up beside her.

Hulk made a grab for her then, but she ducked under the hand and moved to the side – if she could get on his back again, perhaps she could knock him out instead.

Only, this time when she managed to get on his back he jumped before she even got the chance to make the blow, sending them both through two ceilings and into what looked to be a lab of some sort. Sakura released her hold with a grunt of pain, prying the chunk of metal that had lodged into her arm out with a slight wince.

She dodged the first punch, and grabbed the second, but there wasn’t enough height in the room to throw him, with a burst of chakra she twisted his arm until it snapped. “Sorry, Bruce,” she murmured. She could fix it easily enough, but that didn’t mean it wouldn’t be painful.

The Hulk roared. Ripping his injured limb from her grip and staggering a step back. There was a sick fascination in watching the limb heal, the grind of bone on bone and muscle repositioning a sound she was more than used to hearing.

Well, she thought as the Hulk charged again, that made this easier. Now there was no need to worry that she would _actually_ injure Bruce.

It was just as she dodged the Hulk’s newest attack that a plane came into view at the window, hovering. The glass shattered, and Sakura felt something tear into her leg, a searing pain that felt like Sasuke’s chidori had struck her. Thor barreled into her then, forcing them both to the floor to avoid being hit again. She turned in time to catch sight of Hulk charging the at the plane, breaking the windows in his dash to stop the attack.

“Bruce!” She screamed as he and the plane went down together.

“He will be fine,” Thor assured her, though she could hear the emptiness to the words, “we must go make sure the other are safe.”

Sakura stared at the spot he fell from, a numbness taking over her that she knew all too well; it was the same feeling she had when Neji had died, and when she had held Naruto’s heart in her hand, pumping it to keep him alive long enough for Kurama to return.

“Sakura,” Thor said her name, breaking her stare, “we must go.”

She nodded, rising to her feet and following after the blond.

Bruce would be fine.

He had to be.

They had split up in the hall, Thor going ahead to Loki’s cage as she took out the soldiers who attacked them from behind. It was only a mere minute, really. That was all the time she needed to take them down. But when she walked into the room with Loki’s cage it was to find Coulson on the ground, Loki’s back to her, and Thor in the cage.

With a shout she sent Loki through the wall.

A clone appeared next to her then, rushing to the control panels with the hope she could figure out how let Thor free, or, at least guard them from any other enemies lurking. While she, herself, knelt before Coulson, healing chakra already working its way through his system.

“You’re going to be fine,” she told the man, “he missed your heart.”

“Let’s hope,” Coulson gave a weak – bloody – smile, “I have a date with a beautiful woman.”

“She’s a lucky woman,” Sakura said, her chakra stitching veins and flesh back together. The bleeding had already slowed. A good sign.

“No,” Coulson coughed slightly, the movement reopening the wound a small amount, “I’m the lucky one.”

Sakura smiled at that, “I need you to stay as still as possible for me, alright?”

“Copy that,” the man said, even as another cough spilled blood from his lips.

His lungs were filling then. He would drowned in his own fluids if she didn’t get them cleared. Closing the wound would help, but it wouldn’t get rid of what was already in the lungs. She held in a scowl – she would need someone to hold him down for the procedure she was thinking off.

“Coulson, I need you to tell me how to open the cell,” she caught his gaze as she spoke, trying to keep his attention grounded, “I need Thor’s help to help you.”

“The code is…” he swallowed, trailing off to catch his breath before starting again. “The code is 582923.”

Her clone wasted no time.

The last of his flesh stitched together, and Sakura let out a huff of breath, “I’m going to move you on your back, now.”

The man nodded, shifting as she helped him onto his back, without care she ripped his shirt open, “I hope that wasn’t expensive,” she tried to joke but it fell flat between them. She bit her lip, there were no bowls here, nor could she send a clone to get water, but that mattered little she supposed, there was enough water in the air for what she needed, and the floor was already covered in blood – what was a little more. “Thor,” she said glancing back at the Asgardian, “I need you to hold him down.”

Thor nodded, moving around to Coulson shoulders and pushing them into the ground.

“This is going to hurt,” she warned. “A lot.”

Coulson gave a weak smile, “Bring it on.”

A hand sign later and water floated before her, with a tight smile she started to push it into the man’s chest. He convulsed, as was expected, a cry working its way out of his clenched jaws. She stayed focused, chakra steady as she drew the now bloody water from his chest. A scream broke through his teeth.

She dropped the mess to the side before turning back to meet Coulson’s gaze.

“We need to do that two more times to clear your lungs,” she told him, “and it’ll hurt more the second time.”

“Is that even possible?” He coughed around the laugh the shook him.

“You ready?”

“Do I have a choice?”

“Not really.”

By the time Fury arrived Sakura was pulling out the last of the fluids, Coulson’s muffled screams finally quieting. With a sigh of relief she released her clone. Coulson would be fine.

She met Fury’s gaze, “He’ll live.”

“Dying was never an option, anyway,” Coulson let out one final cough before starting to push himself up. “But Loki got away, Boss.”

“I know,” Fury said as he released Thor, allowing the Asgardian to exit the cage. “But that’s not important right now. What’s important is you get to the medical wing and rest. That’s an _order._ ”

“Yes, Sir.” Coulson replied easily enough, two people in white uniforms already on either side of him.

Sakura stepped back, the hyper focus of having a patient finally giving way to the pain of her own injuries. She ignored them, though, simply funneling a small amount of chakra to start the healing process as she scanned her eyes over Thor for any obvious wounds.

“Are you alright?” She asked, even as she held out a glowing hand to scan him.

“Fine,” Thor told her, “you should heal yourself first.”

Sakura hummed, “Already on it.”

“I think,” Fury said from behind her, “it’s about time you shared with the class.”

Sakura couldn’t hold in her snort even if she wanted to, meeting Thor’s raised eyebrow with a smile full of sharp humor.


	3. Chapter 3

They sat around the same table that Fury had first questioned her at.

“So, let’s see if I have this right,” Stark said, leaning forward, “you’re a ninja from a different dimension. And you have magic healing powers.”

“Chakra,” Sakura said flatly, “not magic.”

“Semantics,” Stark waved her away.

“Is this normal now?” Rogers asked, voice quiet. Glancing between Thor and Sakura like one of them would burst into laughter and say it was all a joke.

Romanoff answered, voice just as low, “No.”

“How’d you even _get_ here?” Stark asked, curiosity thick in his voice.

“Look, I’ll explain it later, okay?” Sakura said, crossing her arms. “I’ve told you who I am, so can we focus on finding Loki?”

“The labs been destroyed, so tracking the tesseract is out,” Stark said, conceding to her point.

“You’re saying he did all of that just to destroy a lab?” Romanoff raised an eyebrow.

“No,” Sakura said, eyes distant. She thought of Pein, of his attack on Konoha. Naruto hadn’t even been in the village at the time, and for all that they would have liked to think Akatsuki didn’t know Sakura doubts that. Pein had attacked to show he _could._ To lay waste to their village as a sign of strength. A sign that Konoha was nothing in comparison to his revenge. At least, that’s how Kakashi explained it. “No,” Sakura repeated, “Loki is dramatic, he didn’t even try to hide before. I don’t think he even _wants_ to. This was to try and divide us, to prove that he’s stronger.”

“That still doesn’t tell us where he’s gone,” Rogers pointed out.

“But what if it does,” Stark stood up, moving around the table, “he’s dramatic, and he _knows_ he has to take us out. He wants to beat us, and wants to be _seen_ doing it. He wants… He wants an audience.”

“Like in Stuttgard,” Romanoff frowned.

“That’s just the preview,” Stark shook his head, “this is opening night. Pinkie’s right, Loki’s a full tilt diva, he wants the parade, the flowers, he wants a monument built to the skies with his name plastered-.” Stark stopped, eyes going wide.

“Tony?” Rogers pressed.

“That son of bitch.”

“Wait,” Sakura said rising to her feet as everyone else did, “where are we going?”

“Stark Tower,” Romanoff told her, peeling off from their group as they reached the first hallway. “I’ll meet you guys on the jet.”

Twenty minutes.

It took twenty minutes for Stark to repair his suit, and for Romanoff to return with a man Sakura hadn’t met. Twenty minutes, Sakura stared at the clothes she had stripped away for civilian ware all those months ago. Slipping those on was easily enough, like coming home after a long shift at the hospital.

Now though, as they sped towards Stark Tower, and an army of aliens, she stared at her headband. Let her fingers run over the fabric, and the metal until it became warm to her touch. This. This was harder to wrap on, it spoke of loyalty, friendship, and _home._

“Sakura,” Rogers said as he came to stand next to her in the jet they occupied. “Is everything alright?”

She gave him a wane smile, “I’m fine.” She tucked the headband into her hair. It felt like coming home after the war. “Let’s kick some alien ass.”

“Language,” Barton – the archer, she had learned – said from the front of the plane, “Cap there has sensitive ears.”

Sakura snorted a laugh, the heavy tension of anticipation breaking under the light humor. They would win this. Not because they were stronger, but because they had to. Because they had everything to lose.

 

 

 

They landed in the middle of the street, the side of the plane in flames from Loki’s attack. The streets were filled with fleeing civilians of all ages, running around stopped cars – some destroyed from the impact of debris.

“We need to get back up there,” Rogers said, taking the lead as they started towards Stark Tower. Except they never made it that far. A shrill screech rang through the city – buildings taller than anything she’d seen before towering above them on all sides – halting them in their tracks as they stared up at the monster that seemed to swim in the air breaking through the portal.

“It’s as big as the ten tails,” Sakura said in a whisper, a heaviness in her chest as she fully understood the situation. She wished for a moment that the rest of Team Seven were there with her, fighting at each other’s backs.

“The what?” Barton asked.

“The ten tails,” Sakura repeated, fists clenching, “a monstrous construction of chakra that tried to destroy the Elemental Nations.”

“She’s also an alien,” Romanoff informed Barton who nodded as if that explained everything.

“Did you beat it?”

Sakura shrugged, “In a way, I guess we did.”

“Well that’s reassuring,” Barton muttered, tone entirely sarcastic as the beast passed them buy, shooting out soldiers as it went.

“Has Banner showed up yet?” Stark’s voice sounded in her hear – they called it an earbud, a communication device similar to those they used on D-rank missions, when they are still learning to work as a team.

“Not yet,” Sakura said as they moved to crouch behind a car.

“Keep me posted.” The earpiece went quiet then.

“We got civilians trapped all along the road,” Barton told them.

“They’re fish in barrel down there.”

“Go,” Romanoff told Rogers, “we got this.”

Rogers disappeared over the car and into the road below.

Sakura ran through hand signs, pulling the water from the air – she had spent time studying the second’s jutsu after the war, after watching him pull water from nothing, and perhaps she was no were near as skilled in the element but it was _something._ “Water Style, Water Dragon Jutsu,” she said, directing the construct into the oncoming chitauri, watching in satisfaction as they were blasted back with the force. It was by no means a large dragon, but it did the job.

“You know what,” Barton said as he stared at her, “I’m not even surprised anymore.”

Sakura snorted, leaping over the car he was hiding behind to attack more directly, “They’re not dead, just stunned.”

“Noted.”

She pulled out poisoned senbon as she ran towards the recovering chitauri, throwing them with a precision that would make Tsunade proud. Dropping then to avoid an energy blast Sakura slide across the ground coming up with a twist as her fist connected with the chin of a chitauri sending it into the air. On instinct alone she brought her leg around in a roundhouse kick that sent another into a car. Wasting no time, she grabbed the weapon of the next one, ripping it from its arm as she punched it in the face. Two of them slipped past her, but an arrow struck the first and the other fell from what she could only assume was Romanoff’s gun.

With a shout she channeled more chakra into her fist, punching right through the chest of the chitauri attacking her and into the chest of the one behind, sending them crumpling to the ground. There was a pause then in the enemy ranks and Sakura took the opportunity to scan the area, there were no civilians in her line of sight which was good.

More aliens made their way over towards them and Sakura counted their numbers with gritted teeth. Barton’s arrows whizzed past her, taking out the first few but not enough. The sound of Romanoff firing off shots was followed by a few more falling. Sakura pursed her lips, a car was similar enough to swinging a tree, she decided. She dug her hands into the nearest vehicle, lifting it with all the ease that came with lifting Konoha trees for a warm up. It bowled into four of the incoming aliens crushing them into the ground. She jumped back to avoid a shot of energy, forced back several more steps before Barton’s arrow sunk into the chitauri’s head. Sakura took the opportunity to charge forward, kunai in hand.

She didn’t know how long they fought for, only that Rogers had joined them again and Barton and Romanoff had started fighting up close. Thor joined them too, then, lightening blasting away a group of chitauri as he made his entrance, clearing the field for a moment of rest.

“What’s the story upstairs?” Rogers asked the blond.

“The cube is surrounded by an energy field,” Thor reported, “it’s impenetrable.”

“Pointbreak’s right,” Stark’s said over their earpieces, “we have to deal with these guys.”

“How do we do this?” Romanoff spoke up, scanning over the field as more chitauri came in from the portal.

“As a team,” Rogers said easily enough. “Loki’s going to keep the fight focused on us and that’s what we need. We got Stark up top-.” The sound of a motorcycle puttering along the street interrupted Rogers, and drew their attention.

“Bruce!” Sakura said with a smile splitting across her face.

“Sakura,” Bruce nodded at her, “this seems… horrible.”

She shrugged a shoulder, “We’re working on it.”

“Stark,” Rogers said, “Banner’s here.”

“Then tell him to suit up.” There was a smirk in his voice, “I’m bringing the party to you.”

The beast from before rounded the corner then, Stark leading it right for them. Sakura shifted her feet, now was as good a time to release her seal. The black lines spread down from the diamond on her forehead, covering her body and releasing a torrent of chakra that made her heart race even as her mind cleared.

“I… I don’t see how that’s a party,” Romanoff said, just as Stark flew past them, the beast close behind, easily pushing past cars as if they were nothing but bugs in its path.

“Doctor Banner,” Rogers said, “now might be a good time to get angry.”

“That’s my secret,” Banner said, walking towards the beast, “I’m always angry.”

Sakura had to admit that watching the Hulk punch the creature in the face was much better than having to fight him herself, all the concentrated strength bringing the chitauri’s beast to a standstill mere feet from hitting them. Except, it folded over, the body of the creature barreling down to crush them.

“I got it!” Sakura said over the screech of metal on metal. With a cry she launched from the road, chakra powering her leap and fist alike. Just as she connected with the creature she let her chakra release, watching in satisfaction as it exploded into debris under her touch.

Sakura landed back on the road with sharp eyes, taking in the way the chitauri turned and screamed a battle cry in unison, almost like a hive mind. Hulk answered their calls, the other Avengers standing at his back.

It felt like they could win this.

Only, _more_ of those creatures flew through the portal, pouring out from it seemingly without end.

“Alright,” Rogers said, “our priority is containment until we close the portal. Stark, you got the perimeter, keep these things inside or turn them to ash. Barton, you’re on that roof, pick off the stragglers. Thor, bottleneck the portal, you got the lightening so light those bastards up. Sakura, Romanoff, you two are with me on the ground. We need to keep these things away from the people. And, Hulk…” Rogers turned meeting the Hulk’s gaze. “Smash.”

They split off easily enough, breaking into the positions as more aliens filled the streets. The chitauri themselves were not skilled, Sakura noted as she cut through several of them, but their numbers were an advantage that Sakura sorely wished they didn’t have.

She was clearing the way for a group of civilians to make it into a nearby building when Romanoff passed directly overhead, flying in the direction of Stark Tower. Sakura let out of sigh of relief, at least they had someone making it to the tower. No matter how many of these they killed there would only be more coming if the portal wasn’t shut soon.

Just as the group of civilians made it the building’s entrance a group of chitauri landed at her back, with a growl of frustration she punched the first one into the building opposite them, dropping to the street and taking out the next one’s legs. But as she threw another into the rest of the group one of them slipped past. With all the speed she could muster she dove in front of the people she was helping, taking the energy blast to her shoulder with a cry of pain. A few hand signs later and the chitauri was struck through with a stone spike.

“Pinkie, you good?”

“Fine,” she huffed, pulling herself to her feet and urging the civilians towards the building once more. She pressed a hand to her shoulder even as it healed.

There was explosion not far from her location, and with a grunt she pushed off in its direction, only to find Cap already there, standing in the street as people were shuffled out from the building at his back.

“You good, Cap?” She asked, a hand of healing chakra already reaching out to scan him. There were a few bruises and scrapes, but no broken bones. His ear drums weren’t burst but she didn’t doubt they were still wringing.

After a few moments she repeated her question.

“Yeah,” he said, but his eyes were still slightly distant.

“Come on,” she said, “we have to go.”

He nodded but didn’t move right away, Sakura narrowed her eyes. Lifting a fist she punched him in his arm, no chakra enhancement but the way he winced meant it had to hurt. “Get it together, Steve,” she told him, voice hard. “These people need us.”

His eyes were cleared when he met hers again.

They took off down the street, ducking around blasts as they made their way towards the tower. Thor joined them at some point, Sakura couldn’t tell from where, and it didn’t matter.

She hissed, pulling back as one of their staffs sliced through her side. For all that her seal let her heal it was almost out of chakra. With a curse she ducked another attack, and let the seal recede. There was always the chance she would need that last bit of chakra later.

Only, Steve went down then, with a shot to the torso that he hadn’t been quick enough to block. A water wall jutsu blocked the chitauri long enough for Thor to get Steve on his feet, but no longer. With a grunt she threw a car, taking out the enemies immediately in front of them, but they all knew there were more to come.

“Either of you need to be healed?” She asked as she turned back to Thor and Steve.

Steve glanced at his torso and the wound there before shaking his head, “Save your energy, you’ll need it.”

Sakura nodded, but frowned as she looked at the wound – it should be okay if she healed it later, but the risk of infection was a real concern. She glanced at Thor, at the blood on his face and the way he favored one side. Really, the sooner they ended this battle the better.

“I- close it.” Romanoff’s broken voice came over the coms, “-one copy? I can close the portal.”

“Do it!” Steve said, clear relief in his tone. The same relief that she felt coursing through her muscles.

“No!” Stark sounded then, “I got a nuke about to hit the city, and I know just where to put it.”

“Nuke?” Sakura asked, confusion lacing her voice.

“It’s a really big, really bad bomb, Pinkie. It’ll destroy the whole city if we don’t stop it.”

“Fuck,” she said with feeling.

“My sentiments exactly.”

“Tony,” Steve’s voice sounded resigned, “you know that’s a one-way trip, right?”

“Don’t exactly have a choice.”

Sakura’s fists clenched at her sides, she felt weak in a way she hadn’t in a long time as they watched Stark fly overhead. Fly up and up and disappear into a portal that he may very well never come out of. Her breath was stuck in her chest, each second feeling like an eternity. She looked to Thor, to Steve, but they both were just as lost as her.

Second by second they were losing him.

“Close it,” Steve said, tone final and unwavering.

Sakura looked away.

“Sun of a gun.” The words drew her to look back up, catching sight of Tony’s small – so small compared to the sky – form falling towards them.

Falling.

“He’s not slowing down,” Thor said, readying his hammer to catch him. But Hulk beat him to it, plowing into Tony and using the buildings to slow their decent until he landed on the street. Laying his prone form out.

Tearing his helmet off was easy.

“He’s not breathing,” Sakura muttered, already pressing healing chakra into him – it would be easier if they could get the suit off, but she didn’t exactly have the time. His heart had nearly stopped, she could feel something moving towards it – something that didn’t belong in his body. But stopping those shards meant little if she couldn’t get his heartbeat back to a normal rhythm. If she could just give him a jolt, something to steady his heart beat, to strengthen it…

Well, she thought, she had more than enough left in the seal for this.

She closed her eyes even as Thor said her name, a question in his tone. The rush of chakra that came from releasing her seal was not nearly as intoxicating as it had been before, but that mattered little. Sakura could feel the dark lines spreading over her body, down her arms and onto Tony.

With all her hard-won control she stopped her chakra, freezing it for a split second before pushing it to move with force.

Tony jolted to life beneath her, eyes wide and breath stuttering out of him in a cough. Her seal receded, pulling back to the diamond in her forehead.

“Oh, what the hell,” Tony said, breathless. “What the hell just happened?”

Sakura laughed, falling back to lean on her arms, she wouldn’t lose anyone – not this time.

“Please tell me no one kissed me.”

“We won,” Steve said on a breath, lost in relief as exhaustion replaced his hyper focus.

“Alright, yay.” He let his head fall back, “Good job, guys. Let’s, uh, let’s not come in tomorrow.”

Sakura snorted at that, “I could sleep for a week.” Her chakra was practically gone from her seal, sleep and food sounded like a Sage sent gift in that moment.

“Have you ever tried shawarma?” Tony asked, shifting to try and look at them all, “I don’t know what it is, but there’s a shawarma joint about to blocks from here. We should try it.”

“We aren’t finished yet.” Thor told them, glancing towards the tower and towards Loki.

“So no shawarma?”

Sakura snorted a laugh as she pushed herself to her feet, “Later.” She reached out and pulled Stark to his feet, “Bad guys first, shawarma later.”

It took more effort than she would have liked to drag themselves to the tower, even Thor who, by all rights, could have flew there decided to walk with them. The Hulk, however, had gone ahead, taking the building in great leaps with ease. Tony had an arm over her shoulder for a good portion of the walk, his fall leaving his leg unsteady even in the suit. He talked for the entire walk, about all the things that her, Steve, and Thor needed to watch or try. His voice a balm against the eerily silent streets after the attack.

They met Clint in the lobby, taking the elevator up together. She took the opportunity to rest her head against the cool metal, closing her eyes and just _breathing._ She had fought more power, more skilled, enemies before. But the sheer number of them left her body aching and exhausted.

The elevator dinged as they reached the top floor, all of them shuffling out to the sight of Hulk and Romanoff standing over a battered – albeit awake – Loki leaving her with a wealth of relief.

He hadn’t escaped.

 


End file.
